Related Content

"We've always connected people with nature in a way that moves and inspires them, but these new habitats are just going to take that to a whole new level,” said Jim Atchison, SeaWorld Entertainment CEO and president.

The park has allocated $10 million to new research and conservation projects, Atchison said.

The announcement follows the company's more than 30 percent plunge in stock prices. SeaWorld attributed the plunge to a major decline in guest attendance.

SeaWorld began receiving criticism in 2013 stemming from the documentary "Blackfish," which depicts the treatment of killer whales by former employees and experts.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claims the expansion is "a desperate drop-in-the-bucket move to try and turn back the hands of time," but SeaWorld executives deny such claims.

“This is not a reaction to ‘Blackfish,’” said Terry Prather, president of SeaWorld Orlando. “‘Blackfish’ is just propaganda in our minds and it has lots of untruths in it and misleading information. We don’t focus on that. We focus on inspiring the millions of guests that visit our parks.”

The SeaWorld San Diego expansion is scheduled to open in 2018, followed by expansions in Orlando and San Antonio.

SeaWorld did not reveal a specific opening date for the Orlando expansion.